Safety fender foe caes



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. P. KATO, Jr. SAFETY FENDER FOR ans.

0. 541,282. Patented June 18, 1895-.'

INVENTOH (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. P. KATO, Jr. SAFETY FENDER FOR CARS.

Arf'omwsr.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. KATO, JR, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY-FENDER FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent N 0. 541,282, datedd'une18, 1895.

Application filed July 23, 1894.

To all whom, it. may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. KATO, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, anda resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSafety- Fenders for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in safety fenders for cars, andconsists in the novel features of construction and combinations of partshereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of'thisapplication, Figure 1 is a bottom view, partly broken away, of a portionof a street-car employing the fender and operative devices constructedin accordance with and embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of same on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig.1 and showing the fenderin its elevated or running position. Fig. 3 is a like view of same,showing the fender in its lower position, which is the position it willinstantly assume upon an object on the track being struck by thatportion of the mechanism which will actuate the fender to descend to itslower position. Fig. at is a detached vertical section through a portionof the means employed for locking the fender in its upper or runningposition. Fig. 5 is a top view of same; and Fig. 6 is a detached sideelevation of a tramway which is used in connection with the fender, ashereinafter explained.

In the drawings A designates the usual car, B the platform thereof, andO the usual wheels. Below the car is suspended the fender D, whichextends transversely across the car track and is supported at itsopposite ends upon .the ends of the rods E, E, which have a bearing inthe sleeves F mounted upon the rock-shaft H, the latter being supportedin the lower ends of the hangers G, secured to the lower surface of thecar, as illustrated more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The rods E extendinward below the body of the car and are provided at their innerextremities with the grooved wheels I, which ride upon the inclines ortramways J, and are, when in their inward position, shown in Fig. 2,practically .housed by the lower arms K Serial No. 518.853. (No model.)

connected with saidinclines. Upon the rods E are provided toothed racksL, which are in engagement with the pinion wheels M, secured upon theshaft N, whose ends are squared in cross section, as illustrated moreclearly in Fig. 1, and are adapted to receive an ordinary key by whichthe shaft may be rotated by hand, the object of rotating the shaft Nbeing to cause the wheels M through the medium of the teeth L to forcethe rods E and the fender D inward to the position illustrated in Figs.1 and 2, at which time the said rods E- and fender D will be locked intheir running position, illustrated in Fig. 2, by means of the hookedarms 0, P, engaging the head Q on the rod R, the latter rod beingparallel with the rods E and extending inward from the fender D andthrough the sleeve S secured upon the shaft H. The rod R furnishessupsaid shaft N is mounted in the arms T which are secured to and havearocking movement I with the shaft H, corresponding with that of thesleeves F also secured upon said shaft. Between the fender D and sleevesF are provided the coiled springs V, which encircle the rods E andcreate an outward tension against the fender, whereby the'said fenderwhen the head Q is released from-the hooked arms 0, P, will be instantlyshot forward, while at the same time it is permitted to descend to theposition illustrated inFig. 3, owing to the fact that the wheelsI willat such time ride up the inclines or tramway J.

It will be understood from the above description that the hooked arms 0,P acting on 5 the head Q of the rod R will serve to retain the fender atits inward or running position, illustrated in Fig. 2, and that upon therelease of said hooked arms from said head Q, the

springs V will shoot the fender D outward, [30

while at the same time the rods E being unrestrained the weight of thefender will cause it to descend, the rock-shaft H and sleeves Fpermitting this movement and enabling the wheels I to travel upwardalong the inclines J.

The inward movement of the fender D to secure the engagement of the headQ with the hooked arms 0 P may, as above described, be efiected by therotation of the shaft N and Wheels M, the latter engaging the racks Land forcing the rods E and rod R inward to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The fender D is provided at opposite'ends with the pivoted segmentalwings W and said ends are slotted, as at X, to receive the pins Yconnecting said wings WV with the rods Z, the latter being secured attheir inner ends upon the pins a connected with the plates I) mountedupon the shaft H. XVhile the fender D is at its inward position, shownin Fig. 2, the wings V will be substantially concealed upon the saidfender, and when the latter at its lower or outer position, illustratedin Fig. 3,the wings will-be extended outward be'yondthe outer line ofthe wheels 0 in order to prevent the object on the track from passingbeneath said wheels. regulated in their movement by the movement of thefender D, the length of the arms Z and the form of the slots X beingsuch that when the fender D is elevated, the arms Z will draw the; wingsWV inward to the position shownin Fig. 1 and that when said fender isdepressed, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the said arms will cause the wingsV to extend or turn outward.

The'hooked arms 0, Rare pivoted to a bear-V ing 0 and have at theirouter or hooked ends a tension toward each other owing totheinterposition of the springs d; and at the-inner ends of said hookedarms 0, P, are pivotally secured the links e,f, by which said arms areconnected with the revolubledisk g mounted upon avertical pivot andprovided with the actuating rod h which, as illustrated in Fig. 1,extends outward toward the end of the car and passes through a suitablesupporting bearing 2'. When the rod his pressed inward, it will causethe rotation of the disk g and through the links 6, f, the separation ofthe outer or hooked ends of the arms 0, P, whereby the latter arereleased from the head Q preparatory to the springs V shooting thefender D outward. 'lherod it may be caused to move inward to effect asabove described, the separation of the hooked arms 0, P,fr'om the headQ, either by the motorman on the platform or by the contact of theobstruction on the track with the hinged frame j, which is connectedwith operative devices adapted to act on the rod h. Upon the platform ofthe car will be provided the leverk whose lower end is in near relationto the outer end of the rod 72, the said lever being convenientlyarranged, as illustrated,to enablethe motorman to press against the sameand thereby force the lower end of the lever against the rod hsufliciently to turn the disk 9 and free the head Q from the hooked arms0, P. The hinged frame j is connected by a chain or The wings V are.

other ligament m with the lazy-tongs levers n, as illustrated moreclearly in Fig. 1, the said levers being secured upon the pivot o, andhaving an extension 19 in line with the pivoted button (1 secured uponthe bracket 0* which is rigidly connected with the rod h and carries aleaf spring 3 in contact with the fiat side of said button g. In Fig. 1the. rod his shown in its inward position with the frame j projectingforward, and under this condition the extension 10 on the lazy tongslevers n will be removed from contact with the button q and said buttonwill be in line with the main arm of the bracket 1' as illustrated. Uponthe hinged framej coming into contact with an obstruction on the track,it will be caused to turn inward below the car to the positionillustrated in Fig.8, and this movement of the frame j willcause-the'l'atter through the chain m to draw on the outer end of thelazy tongs l'eversn and thereby cause the extension p on the inner endof said levers to come into contact with the button q and force the saidbutton with the bracket 0 and rod h inward and thereby effect throughthe disk 9 the freeing of the head Q from the hooked arms 0, P. Duringthe inward movement of the extension 1) on the lazy tongs levers n, thebutton q' will remain stationary on its pivot, and the end of saidextension moving in the arc of a circle will after sufficiently movingthe rod h pass to the rear of said button and during the forwardmovement of the extension 19 the end of the latter will strike thebutton q and while passing the same will'turn the button slightly on itspivot, after which the extension pbeing then at the outer side of thebutton, the spring will restore the latter to its normal position.Shown. The chain or ligament 122 connected with the framej passes overthe eccentric pulley t by which it is caused to pull on the lazy tongslevers 97. when said framej is turned inward, and to release said leverswhen said frame is turned outward. The lazy tongs levers n are at theirouter end connected with a spring to which exerts a pressure againstsaid levers when the framej is folded inward and serves to cause saidlevers to resume their normal position as soon as the obstruction passesor is removed from the framej. The restoring to their normal position ofthe lazy tongs levers it operates through the chain m to draw the framey'ontward to its normal position. Shown in Fig. 2.

Then the fender D and connecting devices are at the rear end of the carand it is not; desired that they shall be put into use, the framej willbe turned entirely inward below the'car platform and caught upon thehookwwhich will retain it in place, and by means of the shaft N the fender Dand rods E, R, will be moved inward and locked by means of the hookedarms 0, P. As a means of securely locking the rod R to'prevent thefender D from moving forward I have provided on said rod a collar 00adapted to be engaged by the arm y formed on the innerend of the pivotedlever A, whose outer end carries the segmental rack B in engagement withthe pinion 0 held upon the bracket D. The pinion C at its upper exposedside, is adapted to be turned by a key E to effect through it and therack B the movement of the lever A, whereby the arm y may be eitherthrown out-- ward from the collar m or inward against said collaraccording to the direction of the movement given to the pinion. When thearm y is thrown inward against the outerside of the collar 00 it willbeobvious that the rod R will be immovable, and that when the arm y isthrown outward from said collar cc the rod B may, when released by thehooked arms 0, P move forward as before. During the time that the rod Ris held'by means of the arm y and collar 00 any movement of the arms 0,P will fail to release said rod R. It will be desirable to lock thefender and its connecting rods inward by means of the lever A, when saidparts are at the then rear end of the car; and after the fall of snowand before the tracks are clear it may be desirable to lock the framejinward on the hook on at the front end of the car, at which time thefender will be temporarily operated when necessary by the motorman, whoby pressing on the lever k may drive the rod h inward and thereby causethe fender D to advance and lower to position.

The wheelsI being grooved will not leave the inclines or tramways J, andthe latter owing to their position and inclination will regulate theextent of the descent of the fender D toward the track. The relation ofthe lower edge of the fender D to the track may vary according tospecial conditions and circumstances, and hence the tramways J-will beso arranged and given such inclination that the desired ascent anddescent of the fender may be readily and accurately attained.

From the foregoing description, it will be noticed that the fender D andconnecting devices are moved inward by means of the shaft N, pinions Mand racks L; that when said parts are thus moved inward they may be heldor set by means of the automatically operating hooked arms 0, P, andthat said fender is adapted to be shot forward and lowered to operativeposition either by the motorman pressing frontward on the upper end ofthe lever k or by the contact of the obstruction on the track with thepivoted framej.

It will be observed that the head Q on the rod R is wedge shaped andthat the facing edges of the front ends of the arms 0, P, are curved,whereby the entrance of said head between said arms is facilitated.

The invention is not limited to any special position of the fender Dwith respect to the end of the car, but when located as shown it will beout of the way and effectually catch the obstruction and prevent thesame from passing beneath the wheels. 7

Without confining the invention to the precise details ofconstructionand-arrangement shown and described, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the car, the fender having the rods E, thesleeves F receiving said rods and adapted to have a rocking movementtherewith, the inclines J engaging the ends of said rods E and extendingdownward and inward, and means for releasing said fender from its inwardposition when an obstruction is on the track; substantially as setforth.

2. In combination with'the car, the fender, the rod having a head andconnected. with the fender, the hookedarms automatically engaging saidhead when the fender is moved in ward, the links connecting said arms toa revoluble disk, and a rod extending from said disk and adapted whenactuated to rotate the same and free said hooked arms from said head,allowing the fender to descend; subbearings and at their outer endsconnected by pins Y passing through said slots with the I said wings;substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the car, the fender having the rods E providedwith teeth, the shaft having pinions engaging said teeth, the springsgiving said fender an outward ten sion, the rod R having a head andsecured to said fender, and means for automatically en gaging said headwhen the fender is moved inward, and means for efiecting the release ofsaidhead when an obstruction is upon the track; substantially as setforth.

5. In combination with the car, the fender having the rods E, theinclines J engaging the said rods and consisting of vertical plateswhose edges incline downward and inward and which have the lower arms K,and means for releasing said fender from its inward position when anobstruction is on the track; substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with the car, the fender having the rods supported inrocking bearhooked arms adapted to automatically catch the fender whenat its inward position, the revoluble disk connected with said arms, andthe operating rod also connected with said disk; substantially as setforth.

'7. In combination with the car,'the fender adapted to be moved inwardand to move outment of said red by said levers; substantially as setforth.

8. In combination with the car, the fender adapted to be. moved inwardand to move outward and'downward, means for automatically catching thefender when the latter is moved inward, means for efieeting the releaseof the fender when an obstruction is on the track, the lever A adaptedat one end to engage the IO fender and having at its opposite end asegmental rack, and the pinion C engaging said rackand adapted toreceive-a key; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the countyof New York and State of New York, this26th day 15 a.

of July, A. D. 1894.

I GEORGE P. KATO, JR.

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. GILL; WILLIAM B. ELLISON.

